Furnace



E. W. DANY Jan. 26, 1937,.

FURNACE Filed April 6, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet l :inventor bulmw f/f//f/ /f/ (Ittorneg Jan. 26, 1937. E, w, DANY 2,069,057

^ FURNACE Filed April 6, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 me/e Min/vx bg YM fijn Patented Jan. 26, 1937 F'URNACE Elmer W. Dany, Cleveland, Ohio, assigner to Ferro Enamel Corporation, Cleveland Ohio, a

corporation of Ohio Application April 6, 1935, Serial No. 15,074

7 Claims.

This invention relates to furnaces and more particularly to an improved type of furnace which is particularly adapted for fusing porcelain enamel frit onto metal sheets or the like.

In present day enameling practice it is frequently desirable to burn large sheets, for example, sheets 5' x 10 or larger. Certain diiculties are encountered. in supporting such large sheets in the enameling furnace. If the sheets are laid out flat on burning pins in the usual manner they may warp and, due to the large number oi pins necessary to support the sheet, objectionable pin marks may be left on the finished article. In the usual type of enameling furnace the door lifts upwardly and a charging fork, supported either from the floor or from overhead, is moved into the furnace under the burning bars and then lifted to lift the burning bars off their supports in the furnace. When the fork is withdrawn it withdraws the burning bars and the work and the reverse operation charges the ware into the furnace.

It is among the objects of my invention to overcome the disadvantages of the upwardly lifting door and charging fork arrangement and to provide means whereby large sheets or the like can be hung from supports adjacent the top of the furnace thus greatly increasing the capacity of the furnace and preventing warping of the ware.

Other objects of my invention are the provision of improved means for sealing the slot in the top of a furnace whereby said slot will be sealed at all times while permitting movement of the supporting bars therethrough; the provision of an enamel furnace having a slotted top and means for maintaining a seal over said slotted top while moving the ware into and 'out of the furnace; the provision of an improved mechanism for rapidly and economically loading and unloading an enameling furnace and handling large sheet metal articles with a minimum heat loss from the furnace.

The above and other objects of my invention will appear from the following description of several embodiments thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a cross section of a furnace incorporating my improved work supporting and sealing means. v

Figure 2 is a longitudinal cross section taken substantially on line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 1a is an enlarged fragmentary sectional View of the slot sealing portion of the furnace top shown in Figure 1.

(Cl. ,Z5-132) Figure 3 is a perspective View of an enameling furnace with my improved work support and slot sealing apparatus installed, the seal and work support being slightly modified from that shown in Figures 1 and 2.

Although my invention is adapted to be used with furnaces which are heated either by electrical heating elements disposed directly within the burning chamber or by the combustion of oil, gas or other suitable fuel in tubes or the like surrounding the muifle or burning chamber, I have illustrated and described the invention in connection with an oil red mufe furnace.

In Figure 1 the furnace structure includes the outer walls i, the burning chamber or mufile 2 and the combustion chamber 3 which is separated from the burning chamber by the walls 4. The furnace illustrated is provided with a V- bottom indicated at 5, although this arrangement is not essential where my overhead work supporting system is used.

Vertical columns 6 are adapted to support the transverse beams l. These transverse beams also may assist in supporting the furnace top through the tie rods 8. An I-beam track 9 is supported by the transverse beam 'l and extends longitudinally of the furnace directly above the center line of the muiiie 2. As is seen in Figure 2 the track 9 extends out in front of the furnace far enough to permit a full charge to be removed from the burning chamber. Likewise, as is indicated in Figure 2, the track 9 extends out behind the furnace for a distance substantially the same as it extends in front of the furnace. As will appear later this is of assistance in supporting the rear end of the sealing member 2| when the ware is in the furnace.

A slot I 0 is formed in the top of the furnace and extends from the front of the furnace back to approximately the rear wall II (Fig. 2) of the burning chamber 2. This slot I0 is preferably provided with lips I2 which project above the top wall of the furnace. Secured to and extending upwardly from the top wall of the furnace adjacent the lips I2 are the sealing sand retaining members I3. A plurality of work supporting rods I4, each provided with a yoke member I5 at its upper end and having rollers I6 adapted to engage the bottom ange of the track 9 on opposite sides of the web thereof, extend downwardly through the slot I0. Each bar Ill carries a work supporting rack I'l at its lower end. These racks are provided with hooks I8 from which the large sheets I9, which are to be burned, may be hung. Flanges 20 are secured to each of the rods i4 just above the point where the r'ods pass out of the slot il? and form a support for the channel sealing member 2l The bars i4 extend through suitable holes in the web of the sealing member 2l which is provided with edge anges which extend downwardly into sand or the like which is placed in the elongated troughs formed by the lips l2 and sand retaining members` f3. As the channel 2 l, when the apparatus is in burning position as seen in Figure 2, extends out behind the furnace a distance equal to at least the maximum forward travel of the Work carrying bars 2f), a seal for the top slot of the furnace is provided at all times regardless of whether the work supporting bars be disposed within the burning chamber or out in front of the furnace for loading or unloading.

A handle 22 may be conveniently secured to the front end of the channel 2l and provides means for the operator to move the ware and its supports into and out of the furnace. This handle may be brought down to convenient height above the fioor level 23 and if the operator wishes to remove the charge from the furnace (Fig. 2l he merely pulls on the handle 22, This force is transmitted through the channel 2l to the bars l which are supported on the rollers i6. Thus, the entire charge will be rolled out of the furnace and the portion of the sealing channel 2i which extended out ybehind the furnace when the ware was in the burning chamber will be moved forwardly until it is in sealing position over the slot in the furnace top.

In order to permit the supporting bars ld to be moved inte and out of the furnace it is necessary that the door M `be opened by moving downwardly into a suitable well 25. As seen in Figure 2 this door 2d may be supported by cables 26 which pass over pulleys 27 and carry a counterweight 28 at their opposite ends. In Figure 3l the same door arrangement is illustrated as is shown in Figure 2 and the operating chain 29, passing over a sprocket 30 on the shaft 3l which supports the pulleys 2l, extends down to within a reaching distance from the floor. After the charge is deposited in the furnace the door 24 will be lifted into closed position by pulling on the chain 29 and when it is desired to remove the charge the door will be lowered into the well by moving the chain 29 in the opposite direction. Suitable lmeans will, of course, be provided for holding the door in its open and closed positions and, when the door is completely closed its top edge will preferably come up to the bottom of the sealing channel 2l.

In Figure 3 the arrangement illustrated is slightly different from that of Figures 1 and 2 in that the I-beam track member 33 is supported directly in the enlarged top portion 35 of the slot in the furnace top. This I-beam track 33 is supported by being secured to the transverse beams 35 and forms a track for the wheel carrying yokes 36 which are secured to the upper ends of work carrying bars 3T. These work carrying bars 31 extend downwardly through the narrower portion 33 of the slotin the furnace top and pass through the I-beam or channel sealing member 39. As is seen in Figure 3, horizontal surfaces are formed where the relatively wide slot 34 becomes narrower at 38. The sealing member 39 may rest on and be supported by these surfaces and is of such length that the slot in the furnace top will be covered regardless of Whether the apparatus is in burning or loading and unloading position. If desired a sand seal can be provided on these horizontal surfaces at the top of the furnace and the sealing member 39 be supported on the rods 37 by flanges in the same manner as illustrated in Figures l and 2. The handle 4G is substantialiy the same as the handle 22 and may be reached from the shop door level to move the ware into and out of the burning chamber.

Although I have illustrated my furnace charging mechanism in a form which is adapted to be manually operated it will be understood by those skilled in the art that power means, such as electric motors, could readily be arranged for moving the charge into and out of the furnace. Likewise, if desirable or necessary, power means could be provided for operating the furnace door 2li.

With my improved apparatus large sheets can be hung in the furnace, thus utilizing the entire capacity of the furnace and eliminating warping of the ware clue to uneven support. My continuous sealing arrangement prevents the escape of heat from the burning chamber at all times and regardless of whether the charging mechanism be in burning or loading and unloading position. I am aware that slotted top enameling furnaces have been previously proposed. However all of these furnaces with which I am familiar have been of the continuous type in which the Work entered at one end of the furnace and was withdrawn from the other end. In such furnaces articulated shoe plates of the type described in the Y Mamon United states Patent No. 1,889,928 have been utilized. In the present apparatus, however, an integral one-piece rigid sealing member is provided which forms a substantially leak proof seal preventing at all times the loss of heat from or entry of outside air to the burning chamber.

Although I have described the illustrated embodiments of my invention in considerable detail it will be understood by those skilledin the art that modifications and variations may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention. I do not, therefore, wish to be limited to the specific form herein shown and described but claim as my invention all embodiments thereof coming within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a furnace having a burning chamber and a slot extending longitudinally of the top of said burning chamber, a track supported above said slot, a plurality of work supporting bars extending through said slot into the burning chamber and being supported at their upper ends on said track, a sealing member adapted to cover the slot in the top of the burning chamber throughoutV its entire length at all times during furnace operation including the time when said work supports are withdrawn from the furnace for loading or unloading, and means formoving lsaid sealing member and supporting bars longitudinally of said furnace. c

2. In a furnace having a burning chamber and a slot extending longitudinallypf the top of said burning chamber, a track supported above said slot, a plurality of work supporting barsvextending through said slot vinto the: burning chamber and being supported at their upper ends for movement along said track, a sealing member adapted to cover the slot in the top of the burning chamber throughout its entire length, means for moving said sealing member and bars longitudinally of said furnace, said sealing member being adapted to extend out behind said furnace, when said work supporting bars are in. burning position in the furnace, a'distance equal atleast to the maximum forward travel of the work supporting bars when said bars are moved out of the furnace.

3. In a furnace having a burning chamber and a slot extending longitudinally of the top of said burning chamber, a track supported above said slot, a plurality of work supporting bars extending through said slot into the burning chamber and being supported at their upper ends on said track, a sealing member adapted to cover the slot in the top of the burning chamber throughout the entire length of said slot, means for moving said sealing member and bars longitudinally of said furnace, said sealing member being adaptled to extend out behind said furnace, when said work supporting bars are in burning position in the furnace, a distance equal at least to the maximum forward travel of the work supporting bars when said bars are moved out of the furnace, said furnace being provided with an opening at one end through which work may be charged and discharged, a door adapted to close said opening, said door being adapted to move downwardly to open and upwardly to close said opening, and means for operating said door.

4. In a furnace of the type described having a charging opening at one end and a slotted top, Work supporting means extending through the slot into the furnace, means for supporting said Work supporting means for. movement into and out of the furnace through said charging opening, and a sealing member movable with said work supporting means and adapted to be disposed in sealing relation to the slot, said sealing member being longer than the slot in the furnace top whereby said slot will be sealed by said sealing member even when the work supporting means are withdrawn from the furnace into work loading or unloading position.

5. In a furnace of the type described having a charging opening at one end and a slotted top, work supporting means extending through the slot into the furnace, means for supporting said work supporting means for movement into and out of the furnace through said charging opening, a sealing member movable with said work supporting means and adapted to be disposed in sealing relation to the slot at all times during the operation of the furnace, and door means for closing said charging opening.

6. In a furnace of the type described having a slotted top, a work supporting member extending down into said furnace through the slotted top, means for supporting said work supporting member so that it may be moved into and out of one end of the furnace, and sealing means for said slot, said sealing means extending the entire length of said slot regardless of the position of the work supporting means.

'7. In a furnace of the type described having a slotted top, a work supporting member extending down into said furnace through the slotted top, means for supporting said work supporting member so that it may be moved into and out of one end of the furnace, sealing means for said slot, said sealing means extending the entire length of said slot regardless of the position of the work supporting means, and a door at said end of said furnace, said door being movable downwardly to open said end of the furnace and upwardly into closed position.

ELMER W. DANY. 

